The Photo is Mightier Than the Sword
by pikachucutie17
Summary: Starfire and Cyborg end up in a photography battle. Who will win? Which Titans will side with whom? And can Cyborg catch a break against Star's flying powers?


_So I was a pinch hitter on the Teen Titans Zine. While my piece wasn't included in the final draft, it was still good practice and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write some good old fashioned Cyborg and Starfire friendship. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Starfire! Starfire!"

"Remember your manners, sweetie!"

The heroine turned her head to the call, joyfully surprised to see a child running towards her. The child's mother followed shortly after, pulling a small device out of her purse as the girl skidded to a stop.

"Hi! I'm Marie and you're my favorite and canIhaveapicturewithyou?" she asked in rapid-fire. Marie bounced on her toes, expression unabashedly excited.

Cyborg, who had been walking with Starfire, aww-ed and elbowed her playfully.

"Looks like you've got your first fan."

Starfire absolutely melted at the adorableness and eagerness of the girl. Flattered that an Earthling would ask any favor of her when she had arrived on the planet not long ago, she instantly agreed.

"Hello, Marie! Of course, you may! Tell me, what do your people use to take pictures?" she inquired.

"Mommy's phone! Did you hear that, Mommy? She knows my name!" Marie squealed excitedly. Her mother smiled, relieved that her daughter's day would be made.

"Yes I did, sweetie. Stand next to her and smile like I showed you," she said gently, opening the phone and holding it out in their direction.

"A phone?" Starfire puzzled. From her understanding, 'phone' referred to 'telephone' which was used to transmit sounds from one device to another. Were they also capable of photography?

Next to her, Cyborg patted her shoulder, a warm smile taking over.

"Here, Star. You see that?" he asked, pointing at the woman's phone. Starfire nodded. "Phones have cameras built into them, and they can take photos. All you have to do is smile at it until she's pressed the button? Alright?"

"It's easy!" Marie piped up, taking Starfire's hand in hers. "And you can't blink because Mommy will have to take it again."

Starfire looked closer at the phone, spotting what looked to be a shutter mechanism on the back. Her face brightened, excited to be documented as one of Marie's happy memories. Closing her fingers around Marie's small hand, she answered,

"I see. Come little friend, we will make sure that this photo is full of smiles!"

"Yeah! Lots of smiles!"

Cyborg stood off to the side as Marie's mother took a few photos. Both girls were ecstatic and had a difficult time keeping still. Afterwards, Marie's mother showed Starfire the photo and thanked the Titans for their time. Marie said goodbye and skipped down the street with her mother as Starfire waved after them.

A few moments passed, and a bittersweet thought occurred to Starfire.

"Oh, it would be most wonderful if we also could have photos of our joyful times. I fear I may not be able to remember them all."

"I mean, you can."

"How so?"

"Your communicator has a camera option. Robin insisted it's mainly for taking evidence from crime scenes, but he never said you couldn't use it for other things," Cyborg said, a grin forming.

Gasping loudly, Starfire whipped out her communicator and shoved it into Cyborg's hands.

"Please show me how to find this feature! I will use it to the upmost of my ability." she declared, her enthusiasm brimming so much so that she was floating. Cyborg simply couldn't say no to someone with such childlike eagerness.

Moving to stand next to her, Cyborg explained how to change the settings between camera and video call, as well as how to view her photos. Starfire followed his instructions with diligence.

"Like so?"

"Perfect!"

_Click!_

Upon viewing the photo, Starfire squealed and threw her arms around Cyborg's neck. Thankfully, she mainly squeezed his metallic armor instead of his skin with her alien strength.

"Oh, thank you, friend Cyborg! I shall cherish this memory for as long as I live!" she gushed.

Moved by her sheer joy, Cyborg patted her back and tried not to sniffle.

"Anything for a friend, Star. Now come on, let's show off your photography skills to everyone else."

* * *

After a few months of honing her craft, Cyborg had to hand it to Starfire that she could take some of the most unexpected photos. Every so often he asked if she took any interesting ones lately. The highlights included her Tamaranean food unexpectedly exploding, Beast Boy looking like a floating mishmash of animal limbs mid-transformation, and Robin in the middle of face planting on the gym floor.

All Robin asked of her was that she did not release any of her photos to the news outlets, especially the tabloids.

Other than the unintentionally hilarious, great-for-blackmail material, Cyborg found that Starfire liked to take photos of herself on outings with their friends from a bird's eye view. Always floating, no matter the context. And frankly, it made for unique angles that Cyborg wished he could reach.

One day, Cyborg took a photo of himself grinning proudly on a stack of crates overlooking the T-Ship. He didn't want to forget what a great waxing job he did before the Titans inevitably dirtied his creation on their next mission. Starfire, who happened to pass by at that moment, asked if she could look at his photo. Cyborg complied, and Starfire gave him a wide smile.

"This is most impressive! You managed to capture the entirety of the T-Ship despite its substantial size," she complimented.

"Ah, it's nothing really. I was just proud of my baby," Cyborg blushed, rubbing the top of his head. Starfire shook her head.

"It is not nothing if it has meaning to you," Starfire said in a serious tone. Then, clapping her hands together, she said cheerfully, "And besides, this angle makes the ship look very shiny!"

"Well, thanks! I wanted to make sure all the work I did this afternoon was well documented. But it'll be a while before I can take a better shot than you," Cyborg added. He realized that it sounded as if he was demeaning himself, but in reality, he truly admired Starfire's artistic vision. Her uninhibition in what should be captured stemmed from her lack of understanding of Earth's standards for how a photo should look. That was a rare gift.

Luckily for Cyborg, Starfire took his complement as intended. But let it never be said she didn't know how to try to boost another's self-esteem.

"I am certain that you will be able to best me in 'capturing the shot'. With due practice of course, as I have explored the world of photos for many months now."

She meant it in the friendliest way possible. However, an idea sparked in Cyborg's mind. He would never be able to beat her weight-lifting records or outrace her in the obstacle course. But perhaps this was a test that he could prove to be her equal in.

"Is that a challenge? Because I need one right now. Beating BB at _Go Racers! _is almost a given at this point," Cyborg proposed, waggling his eyebrow.

Cyborg always craved new ways to seize the day. And a friendly competition with his friend was the perfect novelty to take on.

Starfire took a moment to consider his offer.

"A photography battle? Certainly unusual, but perhaps not unprecedented. What are the conditions of said contest?" she inquired, wanting to ensure fair play.

"Best photo with a fun background and interesting angles by the end of the week wins. Beast Boy will be the judge, he'll actually be fun about it." Cyborg held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Starfire paused, then gleefully smiled. She took his hand and shook it, taking care to not crush it by accidental enthusiasm.

"If you insist, then, how do you say, it is 'the on'."

And so, the battle began.

* * *

"I demand a rematch! When did you even make the time to visit the Arctic Circle?" Cyborg practically shrieked, his pitch rising much higher than normal.

In response, Starfire merely blinked.

"Everyone was busy, so I spent no more than a half hour to fly there, play with the cubs, then return. Although the mother was very displeased to find me with her babies and prevented me some staying longer."

Cyborg's metallic shoulders slumped, having been defeating so easily by innocent bear cubs.

"Oh, come on! How is that fair? It took me three days to track down the best view in the city and you don't even need a plastic globe to make your way north. Back me up, man," Cyborg begged his green friend.

Beast Boy, having barely contained his snickering up until this point, wiped a tear from his eye. He was drinking in every moment of Cyborg losing to something couldn't tackle with a snarky remark or by hacking a software.

"Sorry, dude. But you just can't beat fluffy polar bears. Seriously though, they're so adorable!" he turned to Starfire to fawn over them.

"The most adorable! And they waved their paws at me like a human. I did not know bears were capable of mimicking such behaviors."

Cyborg couldn't take it. He may have been at a disadvantage not being able to fly at light speed around the globe, but he would find a way to win fairly if it killed him.

"Okay, new rule!" he declared, reclaiming his friends attention. "The photo has to include something that's part of America, location or otherwise. I can drive anywhere within a couple hours, but I ain't about to fly to India just to get the Taj Mahal in the frame."

After pondering for a moment, Starfire nodded her head.

"I suppose that is a fair rule to abide by."

Beast Boy promptly raised his hand.

"What about the White House replica in China?" Beast Boy asked. The other Titans stared at him, confused as to what he had just said. "What? Robin lectured me on knowing the difference between authentics and fakes the other day. And he wouldn't let me forget that a fake White House exists."

"Wait, really? Why would they- anyway no it doesn't count. Has to be made in America or it's out. Just you wait, Star. The next one will steal the show," Cyborg promised, setting his fists on his hips.

"Not if I find another difficult-to-track treasure first!" Starfire leaped up, eager to engage in competitive combat once more.

* * *

"Oh, Cyborg! May we include this location in our ongoing competition?"

The Titans latest mission had called them to the heart of Amazonia. While the weather was a mixed bag of hot and muggy and drenching rains, no one could deny that the colors and wildlife were beyond gorgeous. Even Raven cracked a smile at the moss-covered sloths creeping along the overhead vines.

Cyborg considered her suggestion. It would be a shame to not capture such a spectacular place in photograph form. And besides, he didn't want to exhaust all of his American bucket list locations too quickly. He wanted something left to explore on his next road trip excursion.

"Well, we are both here at the same time. New rule: as long as we're both here on a mission or for some other reason, this area is game."

"Game?"

"He means you can include it _in _your game," Raven said in her usual monotone.

Starfire lit up, already brimming with the possibilities that the dense jungle offered.

"Most excellent! I will have many tropical animals to find once our mission is complete."

"Just don't go swimming in the river. I'm pretty sure that water's teeming with piranhas and it wouldn't be any fun if you lost your arms to some hungry fish," Cyborg joked.

Starfire, having become wary due to multiple white lies Beast Boy had told her to get a laugh, frowned at this 'advice'. She was still deducing how to tell the difference between a practical joke and a helpful truth.

"How do I know you are not attempting to dissuade me from an exemplary location? Most of your body is likely resilient to the razor teeth of these piranhas, so is that not an 'unfair advantage'?"

Starfire recognized that they had different strengths, but she was assured that the rules were set in place to keep their competition fairly balanced. She wasn't about to let her friend trick her into losing a prized photo.

Cyborg started running calculations on how much damage he would sustain were he to be attacked by a school of piranhas. He figured that it would be minimal so long as he kept his head out of the water, so maybe it was worth a shot.

"Now that you mention it . . ."

"Don't even think about it." Robin warned him.

* * *

"Beast Boy, you must assist me! Cyborg will surely win as I have no new photos to offer this time," Starfire lamented. She had wracked her brain all week for a stellar idea, but she was facing what Raven called 'artist's block'. Nothing seemed good enough and time was quickly running out.

While he was impartial on who won, Beast Boy did prefer to help Starfire as she was less likely to know what was available to her. Alas, having fried his brain on another all-night movie marathon, he was utterly incapable of helping his distraught friend.

"I don't know if I can. I've exhausted any ideas I had. And you've been to pretty much every monument on the planet," he groaned.

"I know of many other planets that would provide excellent 'drop of the backs', but that is against the rules."

"We could always try hitting up Titans East. Maybe Aqualad knows a nice beach somewhere on the coast," Beast Boy suggested

"I am not so certain he can help. I believe I overheard Robin say that he was on an important mission in Washington," she recalled.

"Well then, where else can we look?

"I know a place."

The Titans nearly jumped out of their skins, not having realized Raven had practically materialized in the hallway. Then, processing what she said, they latched onto her.

"Dude, where?!"

"Please tell!"

Raven sighed, putting up with their grips on her shoulders for the moment.

"You need something American, right?"

The two Titans nodded hurriedly, releasing their hold on her so she would continue.

"What's an American landmark that's not on Earth?" Raven started cryptically.

"Uh . . . Satellites?" Beast Boy suggested, earning a deadpan stare from Raven.

"Does America extend past the atmosphere?" she said irritated.

"Okay probably not," the changeling tapped his fingers together. "But seriously, what are you thinking of?"

"In layman's terms, think of something red, white, and blue," Raven hinted, hoping that they would get it this time.

A light bulb went off in Beast Boy's head.

"A flag! _The _flag!" Beast Boy shook Starfire's shoulder excitedly. "Star, there's one on the moon. It's perfect!"

Starfire gasped loudly, her earlier despair giving way to a wave of creative energy and hope. There was no way she would roll over in defeat this time.

Enveloping Raven in a tight hug, she swung her increasingly disgruntled friend in a circle before releasing her.

"Oh yes! Thank you, Raven! Please keep this a secret, as I wish to surprise Cyborg tomorrow."

Raven was too busy getting the oxygen that was squeezed out of her back into her lungs to reply for a moment.

"You can count on me not to blab," she wheezed, her ashen grey color returning to her face.

"I need to get my camera ready. Cy's face is going to be priceless," Beast Boy said with a devious grin.

* * *

"Oh Cyborg," Beast Boy called in a sing-song voice to draw Cyborg's attention from scrubbing down his beloved car.

"I believe I have bested you for this round," Starfire said gleefully as they approached him.

"Aw now hang on, I'm pretty sure I have this in the bag," Cyborg said, holding his chin confidently. Pulling out his communicator, he presented his work before the two. "Booyah!"

The two gawked before the image. Cyborg was standing on a rocky ledge along the water, sun low in the sky, while a killer whale was arching in a leap above him. It was perfection.

"_Free Willy_? Dude, how?! I thought I was the only animal charmer around here," Beast Boy sputtered in disbelief.

"I do not understand. Is Willy the name of this particular killer whale?" Starfire inquired.

"Let's just say I ran into Aqualad in the Pacific Northwest and he owed me one," Cyborg answered cheekily.

"Some mission, Cy!"

"You may have the composition on your side, but mine was not crafted by trickery," Starfire huffed.

"Yeah! Star's got a one of a kind original in her pocket," Beast Boy bragged.

Cyborg made a 'come on' motion with his fingers, his confident expression never cracking.

"Bring it."

Putting on a dramatic pose, Starfire flashed her creation before Cyborg proudly.

"Behold!"

Cyborg squinted, trying to comprehend what he was looking at.

"Wait. Is that- _no way_!" Cyborg's jaw dropped.

Cyborg didn't even flinch when Beast Boy's communicator shutter _clicked _to capture the moment.

"Priceless!" he giggled.

"If I recall correctly, the flag was indeed made in this country. So, this location is well within the terms of the game," Starfire elaborated, trying to ease any feelings of inferiority that Cyborg might feel from this loss.

To her surprise, Cyborg burst out laughing. Gripping his gut, he belly-laughed so hard that he began to shed tears. Catching his breath, he gave Starfire a brotherly slap on the back.

"Dang girl, you really got me this time. Maybe I should get up there sometime. The T Ship could use another test run," he laughed even more. Starfire laughed along with him, joyful that she could be both a good friend and competitor to Cyborg. The photography was enjoyable, but it was moments like these that truly made her days memorable.

"We agreed on no plagiarizing, friend Cyborg. I am certain you will prove to be a strong foe next time," she said playfully.

"But this time, I think we all know who the winner is," Beast Boy remarked, still marveling over the blackmail material he got on Cyborg.

"_Titans_," a voice cut in.

The giggles died down as Robin strode up to the Titans, crossing his arms as he stopped before them.

"I just received a message from NASA, saying that Starfire was up on the moon near their equipment. And I'm guessing she wasn't in on it alone," he said sternly, raising an eyebrow.

Starfire ducked her head shamefully.

"Are you upset?" she asked meekly.

Robin's expression almost instantly morphed into one of surprise and concern.

"What? No- of course I'm not upset with you," he said gently.

Cyborg coughed something Robin just barely comprehended, earning a glare.

"But my point is I don't want anyone heading into government protected areas. We don't want them to think we're up to anything suspicious," he said calmly.

"We understand, Robin. My apologies for getting 'carried away'," Starfire nodded, regaining her confidence seeing that Robin was only looking out for the welfare of the team.

"Leave it to Robin to add another rule around here," Cyborg grumbled.

"I totally get what you're saying, and, before you continue, I would just like to add that Raven totally set us up," Beast Boy piped up.

"Care to repeat that?" Raven said, standing behind Beast Boy.

Beast Boy's shriek echoed throughout the Tower.


End file.
